A 39-year-old Aspen man died Sunday morning after the vehicle he was driving crashed on eastbound Highway 82 in Pitkin County, not far from the entrance to Twining Flats Road.
In a Sunday evening news release, the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Francisco Javier Olivares, of Aspen. The release described the incident as a single-car crash occurring just before 6 a.m. Olivares was the only occupant of the vehicle, a 2008 Mercury Mariner.
The vehicle “left the road, hit a water culvert and then rolled several times,” the release says. A Pitkin County Alert issued at 6:22 a.m. Sunday reported an accident affecting one eastbound lane at mile-marker 33.5, but no other details were provided. Twining Flats is accessible from the westbound, or downvalley lane. The area where the accident occurred is about two miles west of Brush Creek Road.
Emergency dispatchers received reports of “a car on its roof” at 5:52 a.m., the release states. Authorities arrived quickly, but “by all reports Francisco had already succumbed to his injuries."
The coroner’s office is conducting a standard post-mortem investigation, the release adds.
Colorado State Patrol had little information to pass along as of Sunday evening.
“It’s still an active investigation scene,” said Master Trooper Jay Cutler, a CSP public information officer.
He said he did not know if drugs or alcohol were believed to be factors in the crash.
Olivares was known to many in the local community. Friends and acquaintances reached out to the Aspen Daily News on Sunday for information about his death. Over the years, he worked off and on in restaurant, service industry and other jobs, they said.
Comments to his Facebook page expressed sadness.
“So many great times and memories … you will be missed, Cisco,” one person posted.
“Panchito, friend, comrade, you’ll always be in my memories. A hug to heaven,” another said.